CLIP Bias & Aesthetics
The tendency of AI to default to specific "pleasing" aesthetic styles (orange/teal, dramatic lighting).
AI models like "pleasing" images. So they default to movie poster aesthetics.
The "AI Look"
Real photos are messy. They have bad lighting, clutter, and awkward angles. AI images are *too* perfect.
Lighting: Is it always dramatic "Golden Hour" sunset lighting? Sus.
Composition: Is everything perfectly centered and balanced?
Background: Is the background always perfectly blurred (bokeh)?
If the image looks like concept art for a video game instead of a snapshot from a phone, trust your gut. It's probably synthetic.
Common Manifestations
The 'Golden Hour' Default: A prompt for 'a sad person' still results in beautiful, warm sunset lighting because the model associates 'good image' with 'good lighting'.
Plastic Shine: Everything in the image (skin, clothes, walls) has a subtle, cohesive shine or gloss, typical of 3D renders.
How to Spot It
- 1Is the lighting impossibly dramatic for a casual selfie?
- 2Does the image have a generic "digital art" gloss?
- 3Is the composition suspiciously perfect?